Hate speeches land two clerics in jail

E-Paper | July 20, 2026

FAISALABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court handed down on Thursday two years’ imprisonment to two clerics on charges of making provocative and hate speeches.

Ghulam Yaseen Muawiya, Sajid Ali and Abdul Latif were booked by the Shorkot City police on Jan 7 for delivering hate speeches against the government and a sect at the funeral prayer of Ali Ahmed, who belonged to the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan.

Also read: Prayer leader gets 10-year jail for hate speech

Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar awarded two years’ imprisonment to Muawiya and Ali each under Section 9 of the ATA with Rs20,000 fine.

The convicts who were on bail were arrested after the verdict was announced and sent to the district jail, Jhang.

The third suspect, Abdul Latif, was exonerated for lack of evidence.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2015

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KUMAIL12

Sep 04, 2015 07:00am

we need more

Recommend 0

miqbal

Sep 04, 2015 07:52am

good job

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Mian Amir Hakim

Sep 04, 2015 08:41am

A very well step by the administration. "Nip the evil in the bud", or else it blossoms and affects the society.

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rehan

Sep 04, 2015 09:09am

So what exactly was the "hate" content in these so-called "hate" speeches?

Recommend 0

Kabeer

Sep 04, 2015 09:53am

If they do not mend their ways they should languish in the jail rest of their lives

Recommend 0

Asif

Sep 04, 2015 10:04am

Good start.

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M. Khan

Sep 04, 2015 10:48am

Excellent. There should be no room for hate speech, sectarianism, or inciting of violence.Not only should they go to prison, but they should also go through lengthy re-education so when they get out of prison they don't start spitting venom again.

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Zikrya

Sep 04, 2015 11:38am

This is a sensible beginning, provided it is continued with no fear and concerns. Every one involved in such contaminating acts must be treated with iron hands. The underlying source of extremism in Pakistan abides in hate speeches which provokes the minds of common men.

Recommend 0

Abs UK

Sep 04, 2015 11:53am

Excellent, about time.

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gerry dcunha

Sep 04, 2015 12:38pm

hate speech is another cancer in our country which should be eliminated from its roots

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Haider Rehman Real

Sep 04, 2015 12:39pm

Good jon, but a small fine...

Recommend 0

sijaz

Sep 04, 2015 01:27pm

@rehan good question. We have no consensus over what is and is not hate speech.

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Raghu

Sep 04, 2015 02:00pm

Hate is the only evil that exists in this world...And it spreads faster than fire...

Recommend 0

@expat

Sep 04, 2015 02:43pm

Still this effort is not enough. Hate mongering leaders and their nurseries should be uprooted. Punishments are too lenient considering the resultant voilent sectarian divide and murders as a direct result of these brainless criminals.

Recommend 0

Danish

Sep 04, 2015 03:17pm

Grab every hate spitter from their necks.

Recommend 0

Sep 04, 2015 03:18pm

Judiciary got some independence, which is a ray of hope in the religious hyper society.

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Aaqil

Sep 04, 2015 04:02pm

Just two years in jail and that too for such a grave crime of hate speeches which lead to brainwashing of many others who in turn get prepared to kill and go on killing as many as they can ? These hate spreading crime, in a way, is more severe than the act of killing itself. They deserve to be executed rather then jailed and that too for a little period of two years only.

Recommend 0

Aaqil

Sep 04, 2015 04:03pm

@rehan Please read the news minutely according to which they spoke against faith of a sect. Not a serious crime in itself ?

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A.R

Sep 04, 2015 04:40pm

So after two years, these monsters will be out of jail, possibly sprouting hate speech again? In addition to the fine and jail time (not enough, I feel), shouldn't they be attending therapy sessions that could possibly change the false view by which they view the world? Would that not be a better idea, as they certainly don't know right from wrong.

Recommend 0

AKB

Sep 04, 2015 07:32pm

This needs to be done on regular basis so that we create a tolerant society. Some out of us have been mislead by the people with vested interests as they want to divide us on religious and sectarian grounds. Every Pakistani should keep himself above sectarianism and report to authorities if he observe some one creating haltered among the general public.

Recommend 0

NAJEEB BURKI

Sep 05, 2015 02:53am

DO more

Recommend 0

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